Nevada Recreation & Park Society Creating Communities Through People, Parks and Programs!
NRPS Newsletter November 2015
President’s Message With Thanksgiving coming up and Christmas close behind it’s easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit. It is also a good time to think about those who serve and to take an opportunity to recognize them, as well as the great programs and facilities we have. There are many deserving individuals and organizations serving our communities and we should take action to acknowledge their commitment and service to our profession and our communities.
Inside this issue:
We have moved up the nominations for awards much earlier this year so you have time to work the awards through your agencies – and to give you more time to think about who is deserving. The awards committee will be getting information out to the membership and to agency directors in the near future. Listed below are the awards we annually offer. As you consider the awards, please think which individual or organization is deserving.
NRPS Mission
2
Upcoming Socials
2
Job Postings
3
Elmer Anderson Park Excellence Award - Recognizes excellence in park planning and design throughout the State of Nevada – multiple awards are made based on categories
Aquatics Commit-
3
Grant Opportunities
8
Program Excellence Awards – Recognizes excellence and outstanding agencies and individuals that publicize, develop and manage programs, parks and facilities – multiple awards are made based on categories Fellowship Award – For significant service to NRPS and the profession
NRPS Membership 9
Executive Board
10
Citation Award – For outstanding contribution to the general field of public parks and/or recreation Dundee Award – For significant service and longevity in the parks and recreation profession in Nevada and to NRPS Honorary Membership Award - awarded to an individual upon retirement after many years of NRPS service
Special points of interest: Check out updated grant information. Keep an open eye for socials. Be sure to submit photos and articles. Recruit new members!
New Professional Award – Is open to members of the society for special significance to the recreation and park movement, is under 35 years of age, and has less then 10 years of experience This year’s conference has changed the format so the awards are presented at the opening general session so more people will see the awards and have the opportunity to recognize them. Please consider recommending an individual or organization for one or more of these awards. The recognition is not only to the individual or organization (many of these are nonprofits or friends of the parks), but broaden the scope and impact of parks and recreation as well as the Nevada Recreation and Park Society.
- Daniel McLean, NRPS President
Page 2
November 2015
Nevada Parks and Recreation Society Mission Our mission is to support and recognize members of the Society and to promote Recreation and Parks as an essential service in Nevada. NRPS Vision Statement We support the National Recreation & Park Association and the benefits of Recreation and Parks for citizens of the State of Nevada. We serve with pride, leadership and professionalism. Letting our old logo fade off into the sunset!
We Believe in creativity and innovative problem solving. We Believe in encouraging and promoting diversity in our membership. We Believe in recognizing the accomplishments of members and agencies. We Believe in members’ input to shape our vision through strategic planning. We Believe in cooperation, communications, teamwork and consensus building for the citizens, the Society and the agencies we serve.
Upcoming North/South Socials and Events If you are interested in setting up a social event for the north or south, contact your executive board representatives.
For the North contact: Andy Bass, North VP NO EVENTS SCHEDULED For the South contact: Sharon Cornell, South VP Lunch and Learn Thursday, December 10th - 11:30am - 1:00pm To sign up call (702) 455-8508
November 2015
Agency Job Announcements Here are some of the current full-time openings within the state of Nevada. Clark County Recreation/Cultural Specialist I/II - Closes 11/27/15 Maintenance Supervisor - Closes 12/1/15 City of Las Vegas Park Maintenance Supervisor - Closes 11/30/15 City of Henderson Assistant Aquatics Coordinator - Closes 11/30/15 More jobs will be posted on the website at www.NRPS.org/jobs
Aquatics Committee The NRPS Aquatic Committee is made up of aquatic professionals throughout the southern Nevada area. Members meet the 2nd Wednesday every other month to discuss aquatic trends, programming, staffing, operations and hot topics. In addition, the committee organizes several events throughout the year; Health & Safety Expo, Southern Nevada Lifeguard Games and a Recreational Swim Meet. Please visit our contact page on NRPS.org if you would like to contact our board members to receive additional information on any of our events, attending a meeting or becoming a member. Did you know‌ Scholarships are available for Water Safety Instructor, Lifeguard Training Instructor, Lifeguard Management, Lifeguard Training and CPR/AED classes? Contact 702-595-0010 for more information.
Page 3
Page 4
November 2015
New Faces in Clark County! Nick Budnik has accepted a position as a Recreation Specialist at Hollywood Recreation Center. Nick has worked as a Program Assistant at the Wetlands Park Visitor Center since 2014, where he developed classes and assisted with daily operations of the Visitor Center and Park, as well as being a Challenge Course Facilitator for the Challenge Course at Camp Lee Canyon. Nick has also worked for the City of Henderson (Youth Enrichment Site Leader), Wilderness Inquiry (Trail Guide) in Minneapolis, Pali Institute (Outdoor Education Instructor) in Running Springs, CA, University of Minnesota, Duluth (Rental Center staff), and YMCA Camp Miller (Adventure Director) in Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota. Nick has a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation-Outdoor Education/Art from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Kimberly D. Ford has accepted a Recreation Specialist position and is excited about working with the seniors at the Parkdale Recreation Center to improve their quality of life. This Las Vegas native attended University of San Diego and is a big fan of the Los Angeles Clippers. Kimberly’s hobbies include oil painting, personal training and cooking Mediterranean cuisine. She believes she’ll bring flavor to our department and wants us to know her new assignment is extra special because she actually attended Parkdale as a child! Kimberly’s favorite color is Van Gogh’s palette and her favorite food is Tomate provençale & Poulet a la Pastis à l’ail. Her best trip was to Aix-en-Provence, France to study abroad. Cecil (Trey) Smith has been promoted to Supervisor for South County. Trey holds a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from UNLV as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University. His education and three years of experience as the Laughlin recreation specialist, will make this transition of leadership smooth and effective. Trey’s new role will begin October 12, 2015 as he is currently occupied in learning yet another role – as father. With his permission, he announces the birth of his first child, Wyatt Cecil Smith born September 29, 2015 weighing in at 7lbs, 9 oz. He reports that baby and mom are both doing well and he is thrilled to begin a new phase of
NRPS Conference Session Proposals…. Have you thought about submitting an educational session proposal for the 2016 NRPS Annual Conference? We would love to hear your ideas for the opportunity to share your knowledge with other park and recreation professionals. The last day to submit session proposals is January 15, 2016. Submit your sessions now! If you have any questions, please email nrpsconferences@gmail.com.
November 2015
Page 5
Our New Mission and Vision!! Token Barnthouse, Darrin Price, and Andy Bass were asked to develop new mission and vision statements for consideration of the NRPS Executive Board. In addition to these statements the Committee developed values for NRPS for consideration. In order to develop draft statements, the Committee searched and compared other state parks and recreation associations and societies statements. Based on this research the following proposals were created. Current Mission Statement: Our mission is to support and recognize members of the Society and to promote Recreation and Parks as an essential service in Nevada. Proposed Mission Statement: To actively provide and promote excellence in professional development, advocacy, and resources to all who enhance the quality of life through parks, open space, and recreation in the State of Nevada. Current Vision Statement: We support the National Recreation & Park Association and the benefits of Recreation and Parks for citizens of the State of Nevada. We serve with pride, leadership and professionalism. Proposed Vision Statement: The vision of the Nevada Recreation and Park Society is to create a future for Nevada park and recreation professionals and agencies where they are key community contributors to our communities' quality of life, leaders in community sustainability, and providers of professional development and recognition through a network of members serving the residents of Nevada and those who recreate in Nevada. Current Values: We Believe in creativity and innovative problem solving. We Believe in encouraging and promoting diversity in our membership. We Believe in recognizing the accomplishments of members and agencies. We Believe in members’ input to shape our vision through strategic planning. We Believe in cooperation, communications, teamwork and consensus building for the citizens, the Society and the agencies we serve. Proposed Values: Integrity: We will be honest and ethical in providing services. Respect: We will recognize and appreciate all opinions, ideas, and contributions. Knowledge: We will continue learning, teaching, and exchanging facts, ideas, and skills. Accountability: We will build relationships through personal responsibility. Teamwork: We will cooperate in the common goal of creating a productive, efficient, and respectful environment.
Page 6
November 2015
NRPS Conference Update The 2016 NRPS Conference dates and location are set! Next year’s conference will be held April 13th-15th at The D Las Vegas hotel. Fervent planning is already underway to build on the success of last year’s exciting and advantageous gathering in Reno. The primary goal of the planning committees is to provide a great value and experience that encompasses all that is great about being a member of the Society and the Parks & Recreation industry. We plan to have a variety of education sessions and are always on the lookout for new speakers and topics that are prevalent in today’s Parks and Recreation world. Speaker interest forms can be found on the NRPS website and are currently being accepted. Hosting the event at The D Hotel brings with it a few new & unique benefits. The property is going through a complete guest room overhaul and will have completely renovated all of their rooms by the conference dates, all conference space is held on the 12th floor which leads to amazing views of the Las Vegas Valley and the Fremont Street Experience, there will be additional vendor space and options so our valued vendors get the most out of their support and our attendees will have the opportunity to make great industry contacts, the registration and attendee assistance area will be located directly off the elevators and between the general assembly & education rooms, which when combined with the event lay-out will make for a seamless conference experience. There are a variety of networking socials, perks & raffles (including the Dundee Fly Rod!), key note speakers and the like that are still in the works that have us, and hopefully the membership, very excited. NRPS continues to stress the value of becoming involved in your profession. There are all kinds of ways to accomplish this involvement, but the best place to mingle, learn from and interact with your fellow Nevada and Southwest Region professionals is at the annual conference. The planning committee will have more information as the conference dates get closer including information on registration, certification trainings & off-site institutes, education sessions, networking events, and so on, but please in the meantime get the dates blocked out on your calendar and start prepping for a tremendous couple days of learning and igniting (or in some cases reigniting) your passion for the industry we treasure, PARKS & RECREATION! NRPS has a limited block of rooms set aside at The D for $29/nt. (plus taxes & fees), and if you’re interested in booking you can contact the hotel directly 800-274-5825 and reference the Nevada Recreation & Park Society at booking. If you have questions about presenting an education session, volunteering, participating as a vendor, providing materials for a raffle prize or finding out more about the conference or NRPS in general please shoot an email to nrpsconferences@gmail.com
November 2015
NRPS Committee Structure 2015 - 2016 Annual Conference Committee ✦ Adam Blackmore, President-Elect & Chair ✦ positions to be filled later Archive (Historical) Committee ✦ Kathy Burkhardt (Chair/Secretary) ✦ Sarah Johnson (resource) Audit Committee ✦ Nate Jaramillo - Chair ✦ Current Members at Large Awards Committee ✦ Mickey Sprott, Co-Chair (South) ✦ Jennifer Budge, Co-Chair (North) ✦ Sarah Johnson (VP Liaison) Aquatics Committees ✦ Kristy Bekiares/Mike Freeman (Chair - North) ✦ Mickey Sprott (Chair - South) Communications Committee ✦ Danny Gleich, Co-Chair (North), newsletter ✦ Dave Castle, Co-Chair (South), web, email ✦ Kristy Bekiares, web (email), Katie Fese (social media), Nate Jaramillio (web) ✦ Andy Bass (VP Liaison) Constitution & Bylaws Committee ✦ Jayne Mazurkiewicz, Co-Chair (South) ✦ Darrin Price, Co-Chair (North) ✦ Sarah Johnson (VP Liaison) Conference Operations Committee ✦ Adam Blackmore, ✦ Dave Castle, ✦ Jessica Laguna ✦ Nate Jaramillo
Education Committee ✦ Andy Bass (Chair, North) ✦ Sarah Johnson (Chair, South) ✦ Shawna Nelson, Lisa Ortega, Mike Freeman Finance Committee ✦ Kristy Bekiares (Chair) ✦ Nate Jaramillo, Adam Blackmore, Dan McLean Leadership Institute - Stand alone committee ✦ Dirk Richwine (Chair) ✦ Tracy Domingues, Jayne Mazurkiewicz ✦ Shari Ferguson, Julee Conway, Roger Moellendorf ✦ Dan McLean (Board Liaison) Membership Committee ✦ Token Barnthouse, Co-Chair (North) ✦ Michelle Shaffer, Co-Chair (South) ✦ Darrin Price, Shawna Nelson, Katie Fese ✦ Sarah Johnson (VP Liaison) Professional Certification Committee ✦ Felicia Rivera-Baker, Co-Chair ✦ Shelly Gulotta, Co-Chair ✦ Andy Bass (VP-North) ✦ Sarah Johnson (VP-Liaison) Ways & Means Committee ✦ Shelly Gulotta (Co-Chair) ✦ Felicia Rivera-Baker (CoChair) ✦ Misty Bray, Kristy Bekiares, Nate Jaramillo, Dave Castle ✦ Andy Bass (VP Liaison)
Page 7
Page 8
November 2015
Join the Leadership Institute!!! Leadership Institute is the Nevada Recreation & Park Society’s new annual leadership development program for early to mid-career professionals. Leadership development is critical to public and park and recreation employees. It provides participants and agencies with skill sets, competencies, and a growing expertise that enhances their success on the job and helps build individual and organizational futures! The 1-year program will enhance individual organizational leadership skills, specifically addressing leadership styles, philosophies, and competencies. In addition, the program explores and introduces participants to emerging approaches of integrating leadership development to personal growth concentrating on participatory and collaborative leadership. The intent is to prepare leaders for today with essential skills and for a future that will increasingly see managers take on challenges that require strategic thinking, collaboration, systems thinking, leading change, and becoming comfortable with ambiguity.
Training Opportunities Southern Nevada
NO UPCOMING TRAININGS LISTED
Northern Nevada
NO UPCOMING TRAININGS LISTED
November 2015
Page 9
NRPS Membership The Nevada Recreation and Parks Society (NRPS) is a non-profit, professional organization, founded in 1958. Its main purpose is to promote the growth and development of Nevada recreation and parks. NPRS is affiliated with the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). NPRS has several levels of membership to meet the needs of all parks and recreation professionals, students, retirees, agencies, and affiliates. PROFESSIONAL This category includes persons who are or have been employed full time in an executive, leadership or supportive staff capacity within a public or private agency or department of recreation or parks or educational institution. ($30) RETIRED PROFESSIONAL This category includes any persons over 45 years of age, who has been a Professional Member of NRPS, NRPA, or an NRPA Affiliate for a minimum of ten (10) years and has officially retired from a qualified professional position. ($15) ASSOCIATE This category includes persons who are employed part time or volunteers within the recreation and parks field, and who subscribe and agree to the aims and objectives of this society. ($15) STUDENT This category includes persons who are enrolled full time in high school, colleges or universities with an interest in parks and recreation or an allied field. ($10) AGENCY This category includes the Agency Director and members of the policy or advisory board or commission. Dues are based on full time employee (FTE) equivalent. ($250 – 20 FTE’s or more; $150 – under 20 FTE’s) ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION AND AFFILIATE This category includes national, state, and local organizations, hospitals, colleges, universities, clubs, and local, state or regional societies and organizations. ($50) COMMERCIAL This category includes all vendors, commercial and for-profit organizations who subscribe and agree to the aims and objectives of this society. ($50) HONORARY May be bestowed upon those persons approved by this society’s Executive Board.
Future Newsletter Announcements Please send submissions for the NRPS monthly newsletter to Danny Gleich DGleich@churchillcounty.org We want to hear from you! Pictures, Articles, Announcements …..
Nevada Recreation and Park Society (NRPS) Nevada Recreation and Park Society PO Box 97264 Las Vegas, Nevada 89054 Contact the President: E-mail: nrps@live.com
Check out our new website!!! WWW.NRPS.ORG Creating Communities Through People, Parks and Programs!
NRPS Executive Board President -Daniel McLean, Ph.D Past President - Nate Jaramillo President Elect - Adam Blackmore Vice President North - Andy Bass, MBA Vice President South Sharon Cornell Secretary - Kathy Burkhardt Treasurer - Kristy Bekiares, MBA, CPRP, CPO
Member At Large North Danny Gleich, MS, CPRP Darrin Price, BA, CPO Mike Freeman, BS, CPO Shauna Nelson Token Barnthouse, MS Member At Large South Katie Fese Lisa Ortega Michelle Shaffer Mickey Sprott PSWC - Dundee Jones